Day 1: Load up your dishwasher (not with dishes).

Day 1: Load up your dishwasher (not with dishes).

Don't overlook the convenience of this hardworking appliance. It can take on unusual things, like your glass light-fixture globes, plastic toys, toothbrush holders, and so much more. Just choose a gentle cycle and skip the heated dry.

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Day 2: Wash your windows when it's cloudy.

Day 2: Wash your windows when it's cloudy.

Wait for an overcast day and start on the shady side of the house: Direct sun may dry the cleanser before you can wipe it off, leaving streaks. And use vertical strokes on one side of a window and horizontal ones on the other — this way, when you spot a streak, you'll know which side it's on. As for dusting, wait for a sunny day, when particles will be easier to see.

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Day 3: Double up on doormats.

Day 3: Double up on doormats.

You'll trap the most dirt by using two mats, one outside the door and one inside. But if they're dirty, they won't do the job: Hose off and air-dry mats, and vacuum indoor ones on both sides — vacuuming the back will push trapped dirt out onto the floor where it will be easier to pick up.

Day 1: Load up your dishwasher (not with dishes).

Don't overlook the convenience of this hardworking appliance. It can take on unusual things, like your glass light-fixture globes, plastic toys, toothbrush holders, and so much more. Just choose a gentle cycle and skip the heated dry.

Getty

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Day 2: Wash your windows when it's cloudy.

Wait for an overcast day and start on the shady side of the house: Direct sun may dry the cleanser before you can wipe it off, leaving streaks. And use vertical strokes on one side of a window and horizontal ones on the other — this way, when you spot a streak, you'll know which side it's on. As for dusting, wait for a sunny day, when particles will be easier to see.

Getty

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Day 3: Double up on doormats.

You'll trap the most dirt by using two mats, one outside the door and one inside. But if they're dirty, they won't do the job: Hose off and air-dry mats, and vacuum indoor ones on both sides — vacuuming the back will push trapped dirt out onto the floor where it will be easier to pick up.

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Day 4: Dust all your forgotten places.

Like your lamp shades and drapes! Put your dryer to work and toss drapes, curtains, and even throw pillows in the dryer for 15 minutes on the "air-only" cycle, then rehang immediately to prevent wrinkles. Another spot to tackle? Your lampshade. Speed up the process with a lint roller.

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Day 5: Swipe away fur.

Removing pesky pet hair from upholstery and drapes is tedious, and cleaning a lint brush is a nightmare. But all you need are rubber gloves to rid your furniture of fur — just pull on your traditional gloves, dampen them and collect the problem fuzz.

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Day 6: Revive your mattress.

Spring cleaning is the perfect time to pay attention to the thing under the sheets. Press firmly with your vacuum's upholstery and crevice tools to clean the sides.Then, spot-clean stains with upholstery cleaner or mild suds. After spraying, let dry, then sanitize with a disinfectant spray like Lysol.

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Day 7: Degrease kitchen cabinets.

Sticky kitchen grime is a mix of dust and grease that's invisible until it builds up. Run the exhaust hood over your range every time you cook to keep grease from settling. To de-gunk, we like "cabinet cream." It cuts through dirt and leaves wood moisturized. Do an extra pass around door and drawer pulls and other places where grease collects.

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Day 8: De-stink your dishwasher.

Word to the wise: If the food from your plates doesn't make it out of your machine, it might start to smell (yuck). So remove food bits from around the filter (below the lower spray arm), then pop it out and rinse it thoroughly under hot water. Run a cycle with a machine cleaner — like Cascade Dishwasher Cleaner — about once a month to keep the appliance fresh.

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Day 9: Shine up your stainless steel.

To make this surface sparkle again (see ya, fingerprints), mix a solution of 1 teaspoon dish detergent and 1 quart hot tap water. Using a microfiber cloth, rub the detergent solution onto the marks in small sections (it will take a little elbow grease), going with the grain. Rinse with clean hot water only, and dry immediately with a clean cloth.

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Day 10: Nix carpet dents.

Use a blast of steam from your iron to disguise imprints — just hold the iron above the area, press the "steam burst" button several times, then fluff. Another option? Heloise, our cleaning guru, recommends putting an ice cube in each indention, letting cubes slowly melting, then lifting carpet fibers back up with a spool. According to Fluff Designs, the water encourages the fibers to swell and return to their original shape.